Nature Based Solutions in a Changing Climate: Projects that Reduce Flood Risk

​Flooding remains one of the most costly and persistent hazards facing Texas communities. Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) mitigate the impacts of flooding by using or imitating natural features and processes to increase flood resilience while providing environmental and community benefits.

​In this panel discussion, Dr. Justin Kozak, Nature-Based Solutions Program Manager for Nature Conservancy in Texas, will give a brief overview of flooding in Texas and discuss how NBS can be utilized to reduce flood risk. Mary Anne Piacentini, President & CEO of the Coastal Prairie Conservancy, will discuss how land conservation supports flood risk reduction and highlight findings from a SSPEED Center at Rice University study on the value of prairie. Justin Schultz, President and CEO of Houston Parks Board, will discuss the Hill at Sims, a recently opened 100-acre regional park in South Houston built on an active stormwater detention basin. The project demonstrates how flood infrastructure can be transformed into a vibrant community asset that protects surrounding neighborhoods from flooding.

​The session will include a Q&A and discussion.